Rangers ready for leavers

Rangers ready for leavers - The West Australian

Rangers are well prepared to quell any problem behaviour at this year’s leavers’ celebrations, with night patrols running until 3am.

City of Busselton ranger and emergency services manager Tim Wall said a couple of rangers from other shires would help out to ensure there were four people on each day and night shift from Sunday to Friday.

Official leavers’ celebrations run from Monday to Thursday.

Mr Wall said the week presented an increase in activity and some problems, although 99.9 per cent of leavers were well behaved.

“Our main action is targeting illegal camping activity, people without accommodation – they’re mostly toolies – and also ensuring there’s no beach fires or camping in the bush or driving on beaches in the reserves in the (City),” he said.

“We’ve certainly stopped the toolies over the last couple of years.

“The word’s got out that we don’t tolerate anyone without accommodation.”

Mr Wall said people who slept in cars or tents often created additional issues such as litter and attracted groups of people for small parties.

Last year a group of fly-in, fly-out workers between shifts came down and loitered at the beach hoping to attract young girls, according to Mr Wall.

He said that was not the point of leavers’ week and anyone found to be illegally camping would be issued an infringement and a move-on notice from the police to leave the City of Busselton boundaries.

“It’s a very small minority and they are dealt with accordingly,” he said.

Mr Wall said leavers’ week was a positive experience overall.

“It’s a good week, I know in the past a lot of the community had concerns about what was going on and the community feel a bit safer they’ve got police and rangers looking after the place where we live,” he said.